This invention relates to apparatus for supporting a ceiling fan from ceiling joists, and more particularly, to apparatus for supporting a ceiling fan between a pair of ceiling joists and for supporting an outlet box at such location.
In the installation of ceiling fans, it is commonly necessary to provide an anchor or a support which threads directly into a ceiling joist, in order to support the weight of the fan and any accessories, such as lighting fixtures or the like, which may be mounted or supported on the fan. Commonly, ceiling fans in the order of 52" in diameter may weigh in excess of forty pounds, and when lighting fixtures are added, such as large schoolhouse globe or a multiple light fixture, an additional ten pounds or so may be added to the overall weight. It has commonly been advisable to support such fans on a hook-shaped lag screw, threaded directly into a ceiling joist, to provide the necessary support.
In existing homes it has been necessary to locate a junction box outlet immediately adjacent to or in immediate underlying relation to a ceiling joist in order to provide a location for screwing the hook into a wooden ceiling joist. However, such an arrangement necessitates considerable inflexibility in the location of the fan. Often it is not possible to locate the fan in the center of the room. Further, it is often not possible to utilize existing openings in the ceiling, which may already be wired for a chandelier or a ceiling light, or other common lighting fixture, since such junction boxes are, commonly loosely mounted or merely supported on lightweight sheet metal straps and are unsuited for supporting the weight of a ceiling fan. Thus, in such instances, it has been necessary to relocate the outlet box for the purpose of mounting a ceiling fan to a new location, thus requiring the patching or resurfacing of the old opening. This can seldom be done in an existing plaster ceiling, for example, without leaving evidence of the previous location of the ceiling opening.
There is thus a need for a mechanism by which a ceiling fan may be supported directly between a pair of existing ceiling joists and by which a junction box as well as a ceiling fan support may be adjustably positioned between the joists to utilize an existing opening or to permit the location of a new opening at practically any desired position between a pair of joists.